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Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Rewards of Trust and Closeness (Fealty)

Taylor Speer-SimsFebruary 26, 2012

Rewards of Trust and Closeness

Land hunger struck the Middle Ages
just as it struck the Romans. Men, great and small did everything they could to
attain wealth via land. Becoming a military leader for the king did get some
men land. Other men became knights for the lower nobility. What ever the
position, vassals of all kinds made sure to stay close to their liege lord to
make sure that they would be the one’s to get their own land grant.

The
source of wealth for many men throughout time, has began and ended with land.
Land production, specifically was the first and best use.[1]
Farming had been the cause of not only food for the persons living on the land,
but the sales of such goods had also created wealth. Sales of produce, as well
as rent and sales of the land were generators of wealth for the owners, or high
renters. Who controlled the land was the key to that wealth, and those that
controlled it had to do so by use of force during the Middle Ages.[2]

The king could not always control
the land himself. So, he sent his representatives to do it for him. Some
representatives had been the Missi, who were to have regulated the law without
actually becoming a settler. However, they usually did settle where they were
sent. Other representatives were Dukes and Counts. These were great men that
started out as military leaders, and then became landowners given primogenitor
rights.[3]

Leaders with primogenitor rights
were also the local aristocrats and bourgeoisie.[4]
The aristocrats had loved private splendor, which not only included fine
clothes, but also great houses. The bourgeoisie and newcomers wanted to emulate
this grand tradition. Given the fact that wealth came with land, and land came
with wealth, the accumulation of land and grand estates had been a matter of
consequence for anyone wanting position and rank.[5]

How did one achieve position and
rank in the Middle Ages? The answer had simply been merchanting or military
service. Men of low birth could gain position by becoming the estate manager.[6]
The idea of being a merchant had been appealing to some. However, this had been
a time of military and physical power. The greater the arm and arms, the
greater the value the person would be to any nobleman. This was how wealth had
been created. Many men also created personal wealth by becoming a vassal to a
lord.

By being someone’s vassal, they
could receive pay, land, and lodgings. This had been a very important position
for the lord, but it was also important to the vassal, himself. Liege lords
could have been a king, a duke, a count, etc. The vassal had to follow a strict
code created by his lord usually by issuing a fealty. This had been a verbal
issuance in front of peers with a formal ceremony. In return, the vassal would
receive his lodgings.[7]
These were usually in the same house as his lord[8].

The lord would retain ownership of
any lands granted to the vassal, as well as the location of where they were
staying.[9]
This was a time of true fealty brotherhoods. Men would not only share lodgings,
but they would also share the same room, and even the same bed.[10]
And, “if anyone had need of sleep he would lean his head on his companion's
breast.”[11] This was
not due to homosexuality, but for safety. It could have also been for creating
a kindred spiritedness between everyone. The closer one was to someone, the
better the trust. And, hopefully the greater the love would be toward that
person. Wouldn’t it be easier to reward the vassal that is loved and trusted
than one that is not known at all? Getting the reward of a fief would certainly
have been an inspiration to the “land hungry vassal”.[12]

After accepting a great gift of a
fief, the vassal would then become the lord of his own fiefdom. He would then
have his vassals that would be lower scaled knights, freemen, and sometimes
slaves. His men would sit at his table and eat with him within his own hall.
Taxes would be paid to him, while he took his cut and sent on to his own liege.
He, himself, would sometimes be able to subdivide his own lands into smaller
plots for his vassals. Men would even swear oaths to more than one liege to
create larger areas for greater wealth, and even more subdivisions. [13]
This vassal come lord, would have the same sort of situation that he, himself
had with his superior(s). Maintaining relationships was the name of the game to
get ahead in the feudalists society.

These men had been interested in
wealth and power. They wanted wealth and power for themselves. They also wanted
wealth for their family. The ideal of being the great patriarch for a rich and
powerful society had dominated many men’s thoughts.[14]
Even the great Otto fell “prey to the proclivity of the arriviste to obtain
social recognition for his heir.”[15]
They all wanted a better life, and would consider what ever necessary to get
it.[16]

Men have always wanted higher status
and more wealth. Getting to that next level of society would have included the
accumulation of property. Vassalage was one way in which men received that
property and status. They had to stay with their liege in many instances. This
would include living within the same room. And, snuggling up to their
companions had been a great way to brown nose for the next available fiefdom.

Bibliography:

Cantor,
Norman. The Civilization of the Middle Ages. New York: HarperPerennial,
1994.

[11] Eginhard
and Monk of St. Gall, “The Monk of Saint Gall: The Life of Cherlemagne, 883/4”
Quoted in “Modern History Sourcebook”, Fordham University. Last modified
August 1997. http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/basis/stgall-charlemagne.asp.
(accessed February 26, 2012).